One Piece: Luffy's Vice Captain wants to be a Marine

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Just like that, while casually chatting with Garp, Ikki leapt onto the opposite warship.

At the same time, Fullbody had been beaten so badly that his face was swollen like a pig's head. His Marines, paralyzed with fear, didn't dare to move under Zoro's intimidating presence.

"You... you're openly defying the Marines! I... I'm going to report this to Marine Headquarters! None of you will escape! You'll all be investigated—"

Before Fullbody could finish his tirade, Ikki strolled over and handed him a Den Den Mushi.

"Captain Iron Fist, Vice Admiral Garp the Fist across from me wants to have a word with you," Ikki said with a smirk.

Fullbody froze at Ikki's words, staring at the Den Den Mushi in shock. The familiar voice that crackled through the receiver only deepened his panic.

"Oh? Your nickname is also Ironfist? What a coincidence!" the voice chuckled.

Fullbody recognized it immediately. A year ago, when Vice Admiral Garp had come to inspect their branch on one of his aimless strolls, Fullbody had been lucky—or unlucky—enough to hear the legendary Marine Hero's voice in person. Now, hearing it again sent chills down his spine.

"Are you... Are you Vice Admiral Garp? I... I'm sorry for using your name! I'll change it immediately! From now on, I'll be Cotton Fist Fullbody!" he stammered, his voice trembling.

"Oh! That's not necessary. The name Iron Fist isn't exclusive to me, after all. But," Garp's tone turned casual yet firm, "please let these private Marines go. They're under my protection, after all."

Fullbody , sweating profusely and still clutching his swollen face, dared not refuse.

"Don't worry, Vice Admiral Garp! I was just joking with them earlier. I didn't do anything serious!" Fullbody blurted out, desperately trying to sound composed.

The spectacle made the woman in the red dress, who Fullbody had tried to impress earlier, burst into laughter.

While Fullbody flattered Garp over the Den Den Mushi, Luffy slung an arm around Ikki's shoulders. "Ikki, why'd you contact my grandpa again? Just hearing his voice gives me the creeps! I keep thinking he's gonna show up and drag me back home!"

Ikki shrugged, smirking mischievously. "Oh, you think he hasn't come to arrest you because of luck? It's because I've been using my status as a private Marine to cover for you! If I lost contact with him, he'd show up personally, and then your so-called freedom would be history."

Luffy gulped nervously, quickly abandoning any idea of tossing the Den Den Mushi overboard.

Satisfied with his reaction, Ikki grinned and asked, "By the way, Luffy, one important question: do you have any money?"

"Money? Nope!" Luffy answered without hesitation.

"Exactly! We don't have a single berry, but this Marine does. And thanks to your grandpa, we've got a free pass here," Ikki explained with a sly grin.

Realizing the plan, Luffy clapped his hands together excitedly. "I get it now! Let's go eat!"

At that moment, Fullbody cautiously returned the Den Den Mushi to Ikki. His expression was a mixture of relief and dread.

"Captain Fullbody ! You know how it is—after some intense exercise, we're starving! Baratie is just across the way. Why don't we head there for a meal?" Ikki suggested with a grin.

Fullbody wiped the sweat from his brow, forced a smile, and nodded frantically. "No problem! Whatever the private Marines want to eat today, it's on me!"

After hearing this, Luffy stepped forward, patted Fullbody on the shoulder, and smiled. "You're actually a pretty good guy!"

Zoro sheathed his sword, walked up to Fullbody , and gave him a firm pat on the shoulder. "Thanks."

Fullbody : …..

At that moment, Fullbody was on the verge of tears.

Although he had no idea who these so-called private Marines really were, Garp's tone over the Den Den Mushi had made one thing clear: these people were closely connected to the Vice Admiral. That alone was enough to terrify him.

The last thing Fullbody wanted was for Garp to turn his attention to him—a mere branch captain—because of some minor annoyance.

So, he resolved to treat these "uncles" before him with the utmost care and respect.

Glancing at the beauty in the red dress, Moodie, whom he had painstakingly invited for this rare occasion, Fullbody hesitated before gritting his teeth and mustering a smile. "Miss Moodie, would you mind if our dinner for two turned into a meal for several more guests?"

Moodie, amused, chuckled and replied with a graceful smile, "I don't mind at all."

Upon entering Baratie, the person who greeted the group was none other than Sanji. Clad in a black suit, with his signature blond hair and distinctive curled eyebrow, the chef immediately noticed the two beauties, Nami and Moodie.

In an instant, Sanji's demeanor transformed, and he became a whirlwind of enthusiasm. Bowing deeply, he pulled out chairs for both women with exaggerated gentlemanly flair. "Please, my lovely ladies, allow me to serve you with the utmost care!"

Zoro, already nursing a drink, scowled at the display. For reasons he couldn't quite explain, this blond waiter rubbed him the wrong way from the moment they locked eyes.

Once Nami and Moodie were seated, Sanji's expression shifted as he turned to Ikki and the others, his politeness evaporating. His face was completely neutral—bordering on cold.

"Order whatever you want," he said curtly.

"Hey! What's with the difference in attitude?!" Usopp stood up, pointing an accusatory finger at the chef.

Meanwhile, Luffy burst out laughing. "Shishishi! This guy is hilarious!" he exclaimed, clearly entertained by Sanji's behavior.

"Waiter, are you the chef here?" Luffy asked, grinning.

Sanji shot Luffy a quick glance and answered flatly, "Yes."

"Then why are you working as a waiter? Is it because your cooking's no good?"

A vein bulged on Sanji's forehead as he clenched his jaw. "The food I cook is the finest you'll ever taste," he said, straining to remain calm. "Now hurry up and order."

"Oh? In that case," Luffy said, his grin widening, "why don't you come and be the chef on my ship? My crew could really use someone as interesting as you!"

Luffy's sudden invitation was as casual as it was bizarre, leaving Sanji staring in disbelief.

Meanwhile, Fullbody , who had been silently trying to keep a low profile, stiffened at Luffy's words. His unease grew as something clicked in his mind. "Pirates? Aren't they private Marines?"

Ikki quickly stepped in, leaning close to Fullbody and whispering, "As you know, we're private Marines directly under Vice Admiral Garp. But when we're out on missions, we can't just announce that to everyone. That's why we use a pirate cover—to mislead people."

"Oh..." Fullbody blinked, a look of realization spreading across his bruised face. "That makes perfect sense."

Had Luffy, Zoro, Nami, or the others overheard this explanation, they would have rolled their eyes. They knew all too well that Ikki's first move, no matter the situation—whether facing Marines, pirates, or even civilians—was to proudly flaunt his private Marine letter of appointment to prove his identity.

In truth, Ikki didn't want to do this, but he had no choice. He feared that if he didn't constantly reaffirm his private Marine status, the system that granted him this identity would stop recognizing him as a Marine altogether. Without that recognition, the system itself would collapse.

And so, no matter where he went, Ikki always made sure to announce his rank and registration number, even if it seemed ridiculous.

At this rate, it wouldn't be surprising if Ikki ended up forming a genuine private Marine crew someday.